R.I.P. : Roland Janes, Sun Records Guitarist, Memphis Legend passed away (1933 - 2013)

Friday, October 18, 2013



Roland Janes may not be a name that most have heard, but they have certainly listened to his music and, to those in Memphis, he was a legend.  Janes died on Friday afternoon at Methodist University Hospital where he was being treated in the aftermath of a heart attack.  He was 80.

Janes was the second youngest in a family of seven from Brookings, AK and, although his father played guitar and his brother numerous different instruments, he didn't get interested in music until his early teens. He first started playing mandolin but eventually moved to guitar where he learned to move easily between musical genres.

After a stint in the Marines during the Korean War, Janes settled in Memphis where he started playing for artists at a small recording studio. It was there that he met Jack Clement who brought him to Sam Phillips at Sun Records.  Janes became the house guitarist at Sun in 1956, a position he would hold for seven years.  His guitar can be heard on the majority of tracks cut by Jerry Lee Lewis, including Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On and High School Confidential, along with other Sun artists like Charlie Rich and Sonny Burgess. He also was a member of Billy Lee Riley's Little Green Men.

While still at Sun, Janes and Riley founded their own label, Rita Records, where they had a hit with Harold Dorman's original version of his song Mountain of Love.  Janes also opened his own Sonic Studios where he would specialize in recording artists for small, independent labels.  The studio stayed open until 1974 when Janes went into a semi-retirement only to reemerge in 1977 as a producer and engineer at The Sounds of Memphis Recording Studio. On the side, he taught recording technique classes at a local vocational school.

In 1982, he left teaching and returned to Sun with Sam Phillips. While most of his work was now behind the scenes, he did pull out the guitar on occasion for sessions, including one for Mudhoney's 1998 album Tomorrow Hit Today.

Janes was recently elected to the Memphis Music Hall of Fame and was scheduled to receive a Brass Note on Beale Street.

Janes is survived by his wife of 54 years, Betty, two sons, a daughter, eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren.



Source : HERE

Oh ! J ai loupé cette triste nouvelle     R.I.P




Je ne sais pas pourquoi Sam Phillips m'a engagé, il a du avoir pitié de moi ... (Roland Janes)

http://elpresse.eklablog.com/roland-janes-a102709631
si je peux me permettre

BIRDIE a écrit:

Boogie boy a écrit:

Je ne sais pas pourquoi Sam Phillips m'a engagé, il a du avoir pitié de moi ... (Roland Janes)

"... Mais Sam Phillips savait exactement ce qu il faisait et devinait que la modestie de Roland Janes lui serait benefique ... Il avait la LE guitariste parfait qui s effacerait quand il faudrait derriere Jerry Lee pour surgir au meilleur moment, et ainsi, donner le meilleur lors d'une session ... "

Extrait de "GOOD ROCKIN TONIGHT" (Sun Record and the birth of Rock n Roll) ou Martin Hawkins et Colin Escott se fendent d'une page entiere a propos de Mr Roland Janes ... R.I.P

R.I.P

Oups.. J'avais meme pas vu ce post...

Tres bons commentaires.. Thanks Boogie boy!..
RIP Roland Janes!

Hello Elvire ...

Dans SUN King "The man behind Sun Records" Roland Janes est considéré et cité parmi les meilleurs musiciens de 1960 a 69 aux cotés de Scotty Moore, Ace Cannon, Al Jackson, Booker T Jones et (excusez du peu) Steve Cropper ...



"Mieux que quiconque, Roland Janes a suivi l evolution de Sun Records, il a tout fait, tout observé, il sait exactement comment ça s est déroulé ... Et pourtant, quand des visiteurs lui posent des questions a propos de l'age d'or, il continue d'etre humble et enigmatique, sans jamais tirer a lui la couverture de la gloire ..." (SUN Records and the birth of Rock n Roll)